Soroco ready for Saturday graduation

Oak Creek  When Soroco senior class president Toni Lombardi walks across the high school gym Saturday to accept her diploma, she'll be saying goodbye to 38 brothers and sisters.

Lombardi, who will sing the national anthem and introduce the commencement speaker, said while the graduating class of 2007 may not be the biggest, it might be the closest.

"I'll remember the way we all pulled together and meshed. We're all pretty close," Lombardi said, noting the work on homecoming floats and prom brought this class together. "I think we've really epitomized high school these last two years."

Soroco High School will graduate 39 seniors Saturday.

"They've been a wonderful group of students," Principal James Chamberlin said. "They've brought a lot of unity and school spirit. Certainly they brought a lot of wonderful new traditions to the community."

The graduation begins at 11 a.m. in the new gymnasium at the high school. A baccalaureate ceremony will take place at 9:30 a.m.

Guidance counselor Lisa Omori said family and friends of the graduates should start planning on being in their seats 15 to 20 minutes before graduation begins.

The ceremony will include the presentation of scholarships, addresses from salutatorian Rory Olsen and valedictorian Aila Bereznak as well as a commencement address from Earl Reum.

Reum has been a motivational speaker as well as the director of the Colorado High School Activities Association student council.

Class sponsor Danelle Rivera, who heard Reum speak when she taught in Denver, brought him to Soroco.

Omori didn't have an official figure on the amount of scholarships given out this year but said with this group of seniors, she anticipates it to be a big number.

"Academically they've been wonderful," she said. "There are a lot of great leaders in this particular class. I would say they have a lot of talents. Musically and athletically, they're a very strong class."